The moment I said, “Hello,” in Korean, her eyes lit up.

“You speak Korean?” she asked with a charming dose of astonishment.

“Only a few words,” I replied. Relieved that my Korean hello did not sound atrocious.

I was having this impromptu conversation in English with a Korean woman in her 60s — let’s call her Su — who was working as a tour guide at APEC House, a lovely building overlooking the sea in Busan, South Korea.

Once upon a time ago, Su lived in the U.S. for a few years, in northern California, so her English was fantastic — which is a rarity amongst Koreans in her generation.

“Wow, your pronunciation is really good,” Su said.

I took her compliment to heart because, well, I had been practicing and honing my pronunciation for days. Thanks to a secret app-in-development called, Travelingual.

That was neither the first nor the last time a Korean cooed with surprise and delight at my foreign command of a teensy, weensy, tiny sliver of their language.

A heartfelt delight that quickly turned into a cultural exchange; and a fun and lively conversation.

Though I wasn’t expecting the level of surprise and delight I received from many of the locals during my time in South Korea, I wasn’t taken aback by it either.

For I have journeyed in dozens of countries across six continents, and one thing I always do as a traveler is I always try to learn a few key words in the local language.

I do so, chiefly, as a sign of respect. In honor and appreciation of their language and their culture.

I don’t expect anything to come of it. I’m just a polite and respectful person by nature — so I take those traits with me wherever I go.

In all my years of travel, however, I have found that being Travelingual often skyrockets my trips from great… to awesome!

In amazing and unforgettable ways.

From riding in the Pope’s private elevator in the Vatican. To visiting a beautiful, ancient temple in Asia, known only to villagers.

To receiving a Serendipitous invitation to join a local for tea… or lunch… or dinner in homes around the world.

Locals absolutely love it when a traveler takes the time to learn a few words in their language. Even better if you take the time to hone how to pronounce them correctly.

Locals don’t expect you to be fluent, and they don’t expect your pronunciation to be perfect either.

But a little effort definitely goes a long way; and it does not go unnoticed. In fact, in my experience, it is endearingly appreciated.

So wrote one woman on social media recently. The “most important word” she is referring to is: Thank you.

Being Travelingual is one of the secret demarcation lines that separates tourists from intrepid travelers.

You really stand out as a Travelingual traveler because, crazily enough, even in this modern age of global travel, so few tourists make an effort to say “hello” or “thank you” in the local language or dialect.

Travelingual is an app via which you can learn, memorize and total recall the key travel words in a local language at lightning speed.

How fast?

Like within 24 to 48+ hours, depending on your busy schedule.

Via Travelingual, not only can you quickly learn the words, but you can practice and hone how to pronounce each word correctly. So you’ll sound like you’ve been living there for months… or years.

Whether you’re headed to Europe, Asia, Africa, Arabia, South America, the Caribbean, or north or south of the U.S. border, if you want to skyrocket your next trip from great to awesome, I invite you to check out Travelingual.com today.